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How to use Container Station 3?

Last modified date: 2022-11-24

About Container Station

Container Station adds virtualization functionality by helping you install and centrally manage Docker and LXD containers on your QNAP device.

Containers are a lightweight way to virtualize a variety of operating systems and application services on your device. Integrated with the Docker Hub Registry and the LXD Image Server, Container Station helps you easily download ready-to-use images and increase the functionality of your QNAP device.

Parts of the User Interface

The Container Station user interface has three main areas.

Label

Area

Description

1

Toolbar

The toolbar displays the following buttons:

  • Explore: Click to search containers & applications in all available registries.
    Tip:

    Click the arrow icon next to Explore to perform various Container Station actions such as creating or importing containers and applications.

  • Background Tasks: Click to view the list of background tasks.

  • Notifications: Click to review notifications from Container Station.

  • More: Click and then select one of the following:

    • Settings: Click to configure the notification rules.

    • Debug Report: Downloads debug logs in case of issues with Container Station.

    • About: Displays the Container Station version.

2

Menu

The menu consolidates Container Station information and resources into several areas.

3

Main panel

The main panel displays the selected screen.

Containers

Containers use OS-level virtualization to consolidate and standardize software in packages that can be easily shared between devices. A container image is a lightweight, standalone, executable package of software that includes everything needed to run an application: code, runtime, system tools, system libraries, and settings.

The Container screen allows you to view the container list, perform actions on a container, and modify some container settings.

Container Creation

There are several ways to create containers in Container Station.

Creating a Docker Container

 
  1. On the menu, go to Containers.
  2. Click Create.

    The Create Container window opens.

  3. Select an image.

    Setting

    Action

    Mode

    Specify an operation mode for this task.

    • Basic Mode: Uses an image from an existing image registry.

    • Advanced Mode: Uses an image based on the specified registry, image, and tag information.

    Registry

    Specify the location where the image is located.

    Note:

    This field is only available when using Basic Mode.

    Image type

    Select Docker image.

    Note:

    This field is only available when using Advanced Mode.

    Image

    Specify the image name and version tag for the image. You must separate the name and version with a colon (:).

    Note:

    When using Advanced Mode, you must also include the registry where the image is located. Separate the registry location from the image name with a forward slash (/).

    Try pulling the image from the registry before creating the container

    Select to force Container Station to try to download the image before creating this container.
  4. Click Next.
  5. Optional: Configure the container settings.

    Setting

    Action

    Name

    Specify a container name that contains 2 – 64 characters, starts with a letter or number, and only contains the following characters:

    • Valid characters: A–Z, a–z, 0–9

    • Valid special characters: Hyphen (-), Underscore (_), or Period (.)

    Auto start policy

    Specify the action to take when the container stops running.

    • None: Do not automatically restart the container.

    • On Failure: Restart the container if it exits because of errors, such as a nonzero exit code.

    • Always: Always restart the container if it stops. If it is manually stopped, it restarts only when Container Station restarts or you manually restart the container.

    • Unless Stopped: Similar to Always, except that when the container is manually stopped, it does not restart even after Container Station restarts.
  6. Optional: Modify the advanced settings.
    1. Click Advanced Settings.

      The Advanced Settings window appears.

    Tab

    Possible User Actions

    Commands

    • Specify the command to run.

    • Specify the entrypoint.

    • Enable interactive processes for the container.

    • Enable TTY processes for the container.

    Networks

    • Specify the container hostname.

    • Specify the container MAC address.

    • Specify a custom network mode and associated interface.

    • Specify a default web access port.

      Note:

      Enter the container port number to serve as the web port. Container Station uses the specified port as the default web port to access this container using the shortcut web URL link.

    • Map additional ports to the container.

    Environments

    Specify variable-value pairs to set environment variables within the container.

    Labels

    Specify key-value pairs to apply metadata to the container.

    Storage

    Click Add Volume to add a new volume to the container. See Managing Volumes.

    • Add Volume: Adds a new docker volume with the specified name.

      Note:

      To create an anonymous volume, don't specify a name.

      To use an existing volume, enter the volume name.

    • Add Volume from Container: Adds an existing volume from another container. You can specify the specific container after selecting this option.

    • Bind Mount Host Path: Binds a location on the container to a location on the QNAP device.

    Runtime

    • Enable Privileged mode to allow the container to run as root.

      Note:

      You cannot enable privileged mode for containers configured to use the kata-runtime.

    • In the Device section, click Add and select an available device.

      Note:

      You can limit write permissions on the device by selecting RO (Read Only).

    • In the GPU section, click Add and select an available GPU.

      Note:

      • This is only displayed on devices with an available GPU.

      • QNAP cannot guarantee compatibility with all graphics cards.

    • Specify a runtime for the container.

      • runc is the default command line tool for spawning and running containers according to the Open Container Initiative (OCI) specification for Docker containers.

      • kata-runtime is a secure container runtime with lightweight virtual machines that feel and perform like regular containers, but provide stronger workload isolation using hardware virtualization technology as a second layer of defense.

      Note:

      Using the kata runtime requires at least 1 CPU resource and at least 512 MB of memory.

      There are several limitations to using the Kata runtime.

      • Modifications to the Kata VM configuration are not allowed

      • Network host mode is unsupported

      • Privileged mode is unsupported

      • GPU connections are unsupported

      • Changes to the kernel or base rootfs (initrd image) are unsupported

      For additional information, see How many Kata containers can I run on my QNAP device.

    Resources

    • Specify the maximum number of CPUs available to the container.

    • Specify the maximum amount of memory available to the container.

    • Specify the amount of memory reserved for the container.
  7. Click Next.
  8. Review the container settings and then click Finish.

Container Station creates the container.

Creating an LXD Container

  1. On the menu, go to Containers.
  2. Click Create.

    The Create Container window opens.

  3. Select an image.

    Setting

    Action

    Mode

    Specify an operation mode for this task.

    • Basic Mode: Uses an image from an existing image registry.

    • Advanced Mode: Uses an image based on the specified registry, image, and tag information.

    Registry

    Specify the location where the image is located.

    Note:

    This field is only available when using Basic Mode.

    Image type

    Select LXD image.

    Note:

    This field is only available when using Advanced Mode.

    Image

    Specify the image name and version.

    Note:

    When using Advanced Mode, you must also include the registry where the image is located. Separate the registry location from the image name with a colon (:).

    Try pulling the image from the registry before creating the container

    Select to force Container Station to try to download the image before creating this container.
  4. Click Next.
  5. Optional: Configure the container settings.

    Setting

    Action

    Name

    Specify a container name that contains 1 – 63 characters, starts with a letter, ends with a letter or number, and only contains the following characters:

    • Valid characters: A–Z, a–z, 0–9

    • Valid special characters: Hyphen (-)

    Auto Start Policy

    Specify the action to take when the container stops running.

    • None: Do not automatically restart the container.

    • Always: Always restart the container if it stops. If it is manually stopped, it restarts only when Container Station restarts or you manually restart the container.

    • Retain previous state: Similar to Always, except that when the container is manually stopped, it does not restart even after Container Station restarts.
  6. Optional: Modify the advanced settings.
    1. Click Advanced Settings.

      The Advanced Settings window appears.

    Tab

    Possible User Actions

    Network

    • Specify the container hostname.

    • Specify the container MAC address.

    • Specify a custom network mode and associated interface.

    Storage

    Click Add to bind a location on the container to a location on the QNAP device.

    Runtime

    • Enable Privileged mode to allow the container to run as root.

      Note:

      If Advanced Folder Permissions is enabled in the Control Panel, you must enable privileged mode for the container.

    • Click Add to associate an available device.

    Resources

    • Specify the maximum number of CPUs available to the container.

    • Specify the maximum amount of memory available to the container.
  7. Click Next.
  8. Review the container settings and then click Finish.

Container Station creates the LXD container.

Importing a Docker Container

Container Station allows you to import existing containers from a local computer or QNAP device. The supported formats are *.tar, .tar.gz, and *.tgz.

Important:

When importing a container, make sure the CPU architecture of the local device matches the remote device. For example, a container exported from a device with a 64-bit x86 CPU cannot be imported to a device with a 32-bit ARM CPU.

  1. On the menu, go to Containers.
  2. Click Import.

    The Import Container window opens.

  3. Locate the container on the local computer or on the NAS.

    Location

    Action

    Your local device

    1. Click Local Computer.

    2. Click .

      A file explorer window opens.

    3. Select the container to import.

    4. Click Open.

    The QNAP device

    1. Click Local QNAP Device.

    2. Locate and select a container to import.

    3. Click Apply.
  4. Click Import.

Container Station creates a new container based on the imported data. For details, see Creating a Docker Container.

Tip:

Use the docker import command to import an archived container file into Container Station and create a new tag (version) for the image in the container.

Importing an LXD Container

Container Station allows you to import existing containers from a local computer or QNAP device. The supported formats are *.tar, .tar.gz, and *.tgz.

Important:

When importing a container, make sure the CPU architecture of the local device matches the remote device.

  1. On the menu, go to Containers.
  2. Click Import.

    The Import Container window opens.

  3. Locate the container on the local computer or on the NAS.

    Location

    Action

    Your local device

    1. Click Local Computer.

    2. Click .

      A file explorer window opens.

    3. Select the container to import.

    4. Click Open.

    The QNAP device

    1. Click Local QNAP Device

    2. Locate and select a container to import.

    3. Click Apply.
  4. Click Import.

Container Station creates a new container based on the imported data. For details, see Creating an LXD Container.

Managing Containers

The Containers screen allows you to create, manage, and remove containers from Container Station. From here, users can review information such as the status and creation date of each container, the associated image file, and the IP address for each individual container.

  1. On the menu, click Containers.

    The list of containers displays.

  2. Select one or more containers.
  3. Perform any of the following tasks.

    Task

    Description

    Action

    Start containers

    Use this action to start stopped containers.

    Click Actions > Start at the top of the panel.

    Restart containers

    Use this action to restart running containers.

    Click Actions > Restart at the top of the panel.

    Pause containers

    Use this action to pause running containers.

    Click Actions > Pause at the top of the panel.

    Resume containers

    Use this action to resume paused containers.

    Click Actions > Resume at the top of the panel.

    Stop containers

    Use this action to stop running containers.

    Click Actions > Stop at the top of the panel.

    Force containers to stop

    Use this action to force running containers to stop immediately.

    1. Click Actions > Force Stop at the top of the panel.

      A confirmation window opens.

    2. Click Yes.

    Remove containers

    Use this action to remove container.

    1. Click Actions > Remove at the top of the panel.

      A confirmation window opens.

    2. Click Yes.

    Container Station performs the specified action.

Using a Container

  1. On the menu, click Containers.
  2. Click a container name.
  3. Optional: Review the details of the container from the Details tab.
  4. Optional: Review the container system log output from the Logs tab.
  5. Optional: Review the usage history from the Statistics tab.
  6. Optional: Execute terminal commands from the Attach Terminal tab.
  7. Optional: Review the Container Station logs from the Event Logs tab.
  8. Optional: Perform any of the following tasks.

    Task

    Description

    Action

    Inspect a container

    Use this action to list the specific details and configuration of a specific container.

    Click Inspect at the top of the panel.

    The inspection window opens.

    Edit the container settings

    Use this action to update the settings for an existing container.

    1. Click Edit at the top of the panel.

      The Edit Container window opens.

    2. Update the container settings. See Creating a Docker Container or Creating an LXD Container.

    3. Click Apply.

    Remove a container

    Use this action to remove a container.

    Next to Edit, click > Remove at the top of the panel.

    1. Next to Edit, click > Remove at the top of the panel.

      A confirmation window opens.

    2. Click Yes.

    Duplicate a container

    Use this action to create a copy of an existing container.

    1. Next to Edit, click > Duplicate at the top of the panel.

      The Duplicate Container window opens.

    2. Configure the container. See Creating a Docker Container or Creating an LXD Container.

    3. Click Create.

    Export a container

    Use this action to export the container for use on another device.

    See Exporting a Container.

    Create an image

    Use this action to create an image from an existing container.

    See Creating an Image from a Container.

    Directly recreate a container

    Use this action to recreate a stopped container using the previous settings.

    1. Next to Edit, click > Recreate Directly at the top of the panel.

      The Recreate Container window opens.

    2. Click Yes.

    Container Station recreates the container.

    Recreate a container

    Use this action to recreate a stopped container using modified settings.

    1. Next to Edit, click > Recreate at the top of the panel.

      The Edit and Recreate Container window opens.

    2. Configure the container. See Creating a Docker Container or Creating an LXD Container.

    Container Station recreates the container.

    Run a terminal command in a container

    Use this action to run a terminal command inside an existing container

    See Running a Terminal Command in a Container.

    Start a container

    Use this action to start an container.

    Click Start at the top of the panel.

    Restart a container

    Use this action to restart a running container.

    Next to Stop, click > Restart at the top of the panel.

    Pause a container

    Use this action to pause a running container.

    Next to Stop, click > Pause at the top of the panel.

    Resume a container

    Use this action to resume a paused container.

    Click Resume at the top of the panel.

    Stop a container

    Use this action to stop a running container.

    Click Stop at the top of the panel.

    Force a container to stop

    Use this action to force a running container to stop.

    1. Next to Stop, click > Force Stop at the top of the panel.

      A confirmation window opens.

    2. Click Yes.

    Container Station performs the specified action.

Exporting a Container

Exporting a container allows you to move information between devices. You cannot export an application as a single file, but you can individually export each container inside of the application.

Important:

To avoid data loss, QNAP recommends stopping a container before starting the export process.

  1. On the menu, click Containers.
  2. Click a container name.
  3. Next to Edit, click > Export at the top of the panel.

    The Export Container window opens.

  4. Specify the file name for the exported container.
  5. Optional: Select Compress.
    Note:

    Selecting this option saves the container as a .tar.gz file.

  6. Specify a location to export the container.

    Location

    Action

    Your local device

    1. Click Local Computer.

    The QNAP device

    1. Click Local QNAP device.

    2. Click the browse icon.

      The Select Folder window opens.

    3. Select a directory to export the container.

    4. Click Apply.
  7. Click Export.

    Container Station exports the selected container.

Creating an Image from a Container

This topic explains how to create an image from an existing container.

  1. On the menu, click Containers.
  2. Click a container name.
  3. Next to Edit, click > Create Image at the top of the panel.

    The Create Image from Container window opens.

  4. Specify the image settings.

    Setting

    Action

    Mode

    Specify an operation mode for this task.

    • Basic Mode: Creates the image on an existing image registry.

    • Advanced Mode: Creates the image based on the specified registry, image, and tag information.

    Registry

    Specify a registry for the image.

    Note:

    This field is only available when using Basic Mode.

    Image

    Specify the image name and version tag for the image. You must separate the name and version with a colon (:).

    Note:

    • When using Advanced Mode, you must also include a registry for the image. The image is stored on the local device.

      • Docker containers: Separate the registry location from the image name with a forward slash (/).

      • LXD containers: Separate the registry location from the image name with a colon (:).

    • If the specified image name already exists, the name is removed from the original image and assigned to the selected image.
  5. Click Create.

Container Station creates a new image with the specified name and version.

Running a Terminal Command in a Container

Container Station allows you to run terminal commands on a running container.

The command line terminal allows you to more easily check logs and statuses, and perform actions without using a web server.

  1. On the menu, click Containers.
  2. Click a container name.
  3. Click Execute at the top of the panel.

    The Execute window opens.

  4. Optional: Add a new command.
    1. Click Add.

      The Add New Command window opens.

    2. Enter a command.
    3. Click Add.
  5. Select a command from the left panel.
  6. Click Execute in the main panel.

Container Station runs the command within the container and returns the output from the command.

Tip:

You can also execute commands by double-clicking a command in the left panel.

Images

Images are templates that contain a set of instructions for creating a container in Container Station.

The Images screen displays a list of images downloaded or imported into Container Station. You can view image properties such as type, version, ID, size, and creation date. You can also search for images by name, create containers from existing images, sync images with a designated registry, export images, and remove images.

Downloading an Image

Note:

By default, Container Station uses the Docker Hub registry, but you can also add a new registry. For details, see Adding an Image Registry.

  1. On the menu, click Images.

    Container Station displays a list of available images.

  2. Click Pull.

    The Pull Image window opens.

  3. Specify the image settings.

    Setting

    Action

    Mode

    Specify an operation mode for this task.

    • Basic Mode: Downloads an image from an existing image registry

    • Advanced Mode: Downloads an image based on the specified registry, image, and tag information.

    Registry

    Specify the location where the image is located.

    Note:

    This field is only available when using Basic Mode.

    Type

    Specify the type of image to download.

    Note:

    This field is only available when using Advanced Mode.

    Image

    Specify the image name and version tag for the image. You must separate the name and version with a colon (:).

    Note:

    When using Advanced Mode, you must also include the registry where the image is located.

    • Docker containers: Separate the registry location from the image name with a forward slash (/).

    • LXD containers: Separate the registry location from the image name with a colon (:).
  4. Select Set registry to default to update the default registry.
  5. Click Pull.

Container Station downloads the image from the registry.

Importing an Image

Container Station allows you to import existing images from a local computer or NAS. The supported formats are *.tar, .tar.gz, and *.tgz.

Important:

When importing a container, make sure the CPU architecture of the local device matches the remote device. For example, a container exported from a device with a 64-bit x86 CPU cannot be imported to a device with a 32-bit ARM CPU.

  1. Go to the Images screen.
  2. Click Import.

    The Import Image window opens.

  3. Locate the image on the local computer or on the NAS.

    Location

    Action

    Your local device

    1. Click Local Computer.

    2. Click the browse icon.

      A file explorer window opens.

    3. Select the image to import.

    4. Click Open.

    The QNAP device

    1. Click Local QNAP Device

    2. Click the browse icon.

      The Select a source image file window opens.

    3. Select the image to import.

    4. Click Apply.
  4. Click Next.
  5. Optional: Select Import and Create to launch the Create Container wizard after the import process completes.
    Note:

    For details, see the following:

Container Station imports the image.

Managing Images

The Images screen allows you to pull and remove images, and create containers.

  1. On the menu, click Images.

    The list of available images displays.

  2. Perform any of the following tasks.

    Task

    Description

    Action

    Inspect an image

    Use this action to list the specific details and configuration of a specific image.

    Click > Inspect in the Actions column.

    The inspection window opens.

    Review related containers

    Use this action to display a list of Container Station containers that use a specific image.

    Click > List containers in use in the Actions column.

    The Containers Using Image window opens.

    Pull the most recent version of an image.

    Use this action to pull the most recent version of an image from the associated registry.

    Click > Pull in the Actions column.

    Export an image

    Use this action to export an image file to your local computer or the QNAP device.

    1. Click > Export in the Actions column.

      The Export Image window opens.

    2. Configure the export settings.

    3. Click Export.

    Prune an image

    Use this action to remove all unused images.

    1. Click Action > Prune at the top of the panel.

      A confirmation window opens.

    2. Click Yes.

    Remove an image

    Use this action to remove an image.

    Note:

    Removing an image from the Container Station list does not remove the original image from any registries.

    • To remove a single image, click > Remove in the Actions column.

    • To remove multiple registries, select each registry and then click Action > Remove at the top of the panel.

    Container Station performs the specified action.

Applications

Applications are multi-container resources created using Docker Compose. This is commonly used when a container may have dependencies and require other containers to function. To run applications, you can use a YAML file to describe components and configuration files.

Creating an Application

Container Station allows you to combine multiple containers into an application using Docker Compose. For more information, see Docker Compose.

  1. On the menu, go to Applications.
  2. Click Create.

    The Create Application window opens.

  3. Configure the general settings.
    1. Specify the application name.
      Note:

      The application name can be 1 – 32 characters in length and contain any of the following characters:

      • Valid characters: a–z, 0–9

      • Valid special characters: Hyphen (-) or Underscore (_)

    2. Enter the Docker Compose YAML.
      Tip:

      You can select and view YAML samples from the Sample drop-down list.

  4. Optional: Click Validate to verify if the code is correct.

    Container Station validates the YAML and highlights any formatting errors.

  5. Optional: Configure the advanced settings.
    1. Click Advanced Settings.

      Setting

      Action

      Default Web URL Port

      Specify a container and port to serve as the default web port. Container Station adds a shortcut for the application.

      1. Enable Default Web URL Port.

      2. Specify a service name.

      3. Specify a port number.

      CPU Limit

      In the Resources tab, specify the maximum number of CPUs available to the application and the associated containers.

      Memory Limit

      In the Resources tab, specify the maximum amount of memory available to the application and the associated containers.

      Memory Reservation

      In the Resources tab, specify the maximum amount of memory reserved for the application and the associated containers.
  6. Click Create.

    Container Station creates the Docker Compose application.

Managing Applications

The Applications screen allows you to create, manage, and remove applications from Container Station. From here, users can see the status and creation date of each application, the number of containers within an application, and the web URL used to access the application.

  1. On the menu, click Applications.

    The list of applications displays.

  2. Select one or more applications.
  3. Perform any of the following tasks.

    Task

    Description

    Action

    Start an application

    Use this action to start an application.

    Click Actions > Start at the top of the panel.

    Restart an application

    Use this action to restart a running application.

    Click Actions > Restart at the top of the panel.

    Pause an application

    Use this action to pause a running application.

    Click Actions > Pause at the top of the panel.

    Resume an application

    Use this action to resume a paused application.

    Click Actions > Resume at the top of the panel.

    Stop an application

    Use this action to stop a running application.

    Click Actions > Stop at the top of the panel.

    Force an application to stop

    Use this action to force a running application to stop.

    1. Click Actions > Force Stop at the top of the panel.

      A confirmation window opens.

    2. Click Yes.

    Remove an application

    Use this action to remove an application.

    1. Click Action > Remove at the top of the panel.

      A confirmation window opens.

    2. Click Yes.

    Container Station performs the specified action.

Using an Application

  1. On the menu, click Applications.

    The list of applications displays.

  2. Click an application name.
  3. Optional: Control individual containers within the application. See Using a Container.
  4. Optional: Review the application system log output from the Logs tab.
  5. Optional: Review the Container Station logs from the Event Logs tab.
  6. Optional: Perform any of the following tasks.

    Task

    Description

    Action

    Inspect an application

    Use this action to list the specific details and configuration of a specific application.

    Click Inspect at the top of the panel.

    The inspection window opens.

    Edit the YAML file and recreate an application

    Use this action to update the YAML file of an existing application.

    1. Next to Edit, click > Recreate at the top of the panel.

      The Recreate Application window opens.

    2. Update the YAML file.

    3. Optional: Configure the advanced settings. See Creating an Application.

    4. Click Update.

    Edit the resources for an application
    Use this action to update the URL or resource settings for an existing application.
    Note:

    This action does not allow you to change the YAML file for the application.

    1. Click Edit at the top of the panel.

      The Edit Application window opens.

    2. Configure the application. See Creating an Application.

    3. Click Update.

    Remove an application

    Use this action to remove an application.

    Next to Edit, click > Remove at the top of the panel.

    1. Next to Edit, click > Remove at the top of the panel.

      A confirmation window opens.

    2. Click Yes.

    Duplicate an application

    Use this action to create a copy of an existing application.

    1. Next to Edit, click > Duplicate at the top of the panel.

      The Duplicate Application window opens.

    2. Configure the application. See Creating an Application.

    3. Click Create.

    Start an application

    Use this action to start an application.

    Click Start at the top of the panel.

    Restart an application

    Use this action to restart a running application.

    Next to Stop, click > Restart at the top of the panel.

    Pause an application

    Use this action to pause a running application.

    Next to Stop, click > Pause at the top of the panel.

    Resume an application

    Use this action to resume a paused application.

    Click Resume at the top of the panel.

    Stop an application

    Use this action to stop a running application.

    Click Stop at the top of the panel.

    Force an application to stop

    Use this action to force a running application to stop.

    1. Next to Stop, click > Force Stop at the top of the panel.

      A confirmation window opens.

    2. Click Yes.

    Container Station performs the specified action.

App Templates

Deploying a QNAP-Verified Template

Container Station provides a list of containers that are verified to work correctly with your QNAP device. Users can easily deploy these containers from the QNAP-Verified Templates tab on the App Templates screen.

  1. On the menu, go to App Templates.
  2. Identify a template.
  3. Click Deploy.

The Deploy Container wizard opens. See Creating a Docker Container.

Adding a Custom App Template

  1. Start Container Station.
  2. On the menu, click Preferences.
  3. Go to App Templates.
  4. Select Enable custom template.
  5. Specify the URL to a custom app template.
  6. Click Apply.

Container Station saves the custom app template.

Deploying a Custom Template

Container Station allows users to import a custom list of containers from a third-party source. These containers may not work correctly with your QNAP device. Users can easily deploy these containers from the Custom Templates tab on the App Templates screen.

Note:

Users must first configure a custom template repository. See Adding a Custom App Template.

  1. On the menu, go to App Templates.
  2. Go to the Custom Templates tab.
  3. Identify a template.
  4. Click Deploy.

The Deploy Container wizard opens. See Creating a Docker Container.

Registries

Adding an Image Registry

Note:

Container Station only supports adding Docker registries.

  1. On the menu, click Registries.
  2. Click Create.

    The Add Registry window opens.

  3. Configure the registry.

    Setting

    Action

    Name

    Enter a name to identify the registry.

    URL

    Enter the URL used to access the registry.

    Authentication

    Enable to specify a username and password used to access the registry.

    Trust SSL Self-Signed certificate

    Select to trust an SSL certificate that wasn't signed by a trusted Certificate Authority (CA).
  4. Optional: Click Test Connection.

    Container Station tests the connection.

  5. Click Apply.

Container Station adds the image registry.

Managing Registries

The Registries screen allows you to manage existing docker image registries and add custom registries.

  1. On the menu, click Registries.
  2. Perform any of the following tasks.

    Task

    Action

    Enable Docker Hub authentication

    1. In the Docker Hub section, enable the Authentication toggle.

      The Enable Docker Hub Authentication window opens.

    2. Specify a username and password.

    3. Click Apply.

      Container Station connects the Docker Hub account.

    Editing a custom registry

    Identify a registry and then click > Edit in the Actions column.

    For details, see Adding an Image Registry.

    Remove a custom registry

    • To remove a single registry, click > Remove in the Actions column.

    • To remove multiple registries, select each registry and then click Action > Remove at the top of the panel.

    Container Station performs the specified action.

Kubernetes

Managing Kubernetes

Container Station includes a standalone lightweight K3s cluster and the official Kubernetes web UI (Dashboard). The K3s server is an un-configurable single-node cluster that runs locally within the Docker instance. Enabling Kubernetes allows you to deploy workloads in parallel on Kubernetes and as standalone containers.

Note:

  • The default Kubernetes API server port is 6443.

  • The available Kubernetes web UI ports are between 61000 and 62000.

  • A default admin-user account is created for Kubernetes web UI management. This account is granted administrative privileges during Kubernetes deployment.

There are several limitations to using Kubernetes in Container Station:

Area

Limitations

General

  • Modifications to the K3s cluster configuration are not allowed.

  • Adding additional nodes is not allowed.

Networking

  • LoadBalancer services are supported on firmware 5.0.1 and later.

  • Ingress is unsupported.

Storage

  • iSCSI volumes and relevant CSI plugins are unsupported.

Security

  • Direct shared folder access from a K3s instance is unsupported.

Advanced

  • Resource backup and restore is unsupported.

  • Adding additional SANs (Subject Alternative Name) is unsupported.
  1. On the menu, click Kubernetes.
  2. Select Enable K3s: Lightweight Kubernetes.
  3. Optional: Select Deploy Kubernetes Web UI (Dashboard).
  4. Optional: Select Display Kubernetes system containers.
    Note:

    When enabled, Kubernetes internal containers are displayed when using Docker commands.

  5. Click Apply.

    Container Station enables the Kubernetes node.

Using Kubernetes

  1. On the menu, click Kubernetes.
  2. Perform any of the following tasks.

    Task

    Action

    Download the kubeconfig file

    Click kubeconfig.yaml to download the kubeconfig file of the Kubernetes cluster.

    Access the Kubernetes Dashboard

    • Click the Dashboard URL.

      The Kubernetes Dashboard opens in a new tab.

    • Select from the following:

      • Token: Select to enter the copied bearer token

      • Kubeconfig: Select to upload the downloaded kubeconfig YAML file

    • Click Sign in.

      The Kubernetes Workloads page appears.

    Copy the bearer token

    • Click Kubernetes bearer token.

      The Default Bearer Token window appears.

    • Click Copy.

      The token is copied to the clipboard.

    • Click Close.

    Reset Kubernetes

    Click Reset Kubernetes Cluster to reset the clusters and deletes all Kubernetes resources.

    Disable Kubernetes

    1. Disable Enable K3s: Lightweight Kubernetes.

    2. Click Apply.

Resource Management

Container Station allows you to manage containers, images, and volumes without leaving the application.

Managing Volumes

The Volumes screen allows you to create volumes, prune all unused volumes, remove volumes from the list, and identify which containers are using specific volumes.

  1. On the menu, click Volumes.

    The list of available volumes displays.

  2. Perform any of the following tasks.

    Task

    Action

    Create a new volume

    1. Click Create.

      The Create Volume window opens.

    2. Specify the volume name.

    3. Click Create.

      Container Station creates a new volume.

    Inspect a volume

    Identify a volume in the list and then click > Inspect in the Actions column.

    Review related containers

    Identify a volume in the list and then click > Containers in Use in the Actions column.

    The Containers Using the Volume window opens.

    Remove all unused volumes

    At the top of the panel, click Action > Prune.

    Remove a specific volume

    Note:

    You can only remove volumes that are not currently in use.

    • To remove a single volume, click > Remove in the Actions column.

    • To remove multiple volumes, select the volumes and then click Action > Remove at the top of the panel.

    Container Station performs the specified action.

Managing Event Logs

Container Station logs actions that are performed inside the application. You can view and filter the logs, and download a copy in a CSV file.

  1. On the menu, click Events.
  2. Perform any of the following tasks.

    Task

    Action

    Filter the logs

    At the top of the panel, select one or more of the event severity buttons.

    Delete all event logs

    1. At the top of the panel, click Action > Clear all.

      The Clear All Events window opens.

    2. Click Yes.

    Download the logs as a CSV file

    At the top of the panel, click Action > Download.

Container Station performs the specified action.

Downloading the Debug Report

  1. On the toolbar, click .
  2. Go to Debug Report.

Container Station prepares the debug report for download.

Preferences

Managing Network Settings

The Network Settings section allows you to configure the range of available IP addresses for containers to use. There are three available bridge networks you can configure:

  • lxcbr0: Provides network access for Docker containers.

  • lxdbr0: Provides network access for LXD containers.

  • docker0: Provides network access for containers of dependent applications.

  1. On the menu, click Preferences.
  2. Go to Network Settings.
  3. Identify a bridge network from the left panel.
  4. Configure the network settings.

    Setting

    Action

    IP Address / Network

    Enter the IP address and CIDR to identify a range of IP addresses.

    Primary DNS Server

    Enter the IP address for a DNS server.

    Secondary DNS Server

    Optional: Enter the IP address for a backup DNS server.
  5. Click Apply.

Container Station saves the network settings. You must restart Container Station for the changes to the network to take effect.

Tip:

To reset the network settings, click Reset.

Downloading the Docker Certificate

A Docker certificate ensures a secure connection when accessing the Container Station Docker service from another device.

Important:

You must enable port forwarding on Docker (port: 2376) and your NAS (default port: 8080, 443).

Tip:

To manually renew the Docker certificate, click Renew. Renewing the Docker certificate automatically restart every Docker container.

  1. On the menu, click Preferences.
  2. Go to Certificates.
  3. Optional: Configure domain name information.
    1. If using a specific domain name (such as myQNAPcloud) for remote access, enter it in the Domain name field.
    2. Click Apply.
  4. Click Download.

    Container Station prepares the Docker certificate for download.

  5. On your device, unzip the Docker certificate file using the command from the Extraction command field.
  6. Set the docker environment using the command from the Environment variable field.

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